The disclosed invention relates generally to electronic equipment rack systems, and more particularly to an easily releasable rack slide retention system.
An electronic equipment rack system is an equipment supporting structure that includes four vertically oriented support columns or rails, each having a plurality of apertures. The support columns are fixedly located relative to each other so as to be at the corners of a rectangle, whereby two support columns are at a front of the rack system while two support columns are at a rear of the rack system. Thus, each of left and right sides of the rack system includes a front support column and a rear support column.
A left side slide assembly and a right side slide assembly are mounted horizontally opposite and parallel to each other on the left and right sides of the rack system to support a piece of electronic equipment to be installed in the rack system. Such left and right slide assemblies extend back to front, and include respective slidable support panels that are attachable to an enclosure or chassis of the electronic equipment being supported in the rack system. The electronic equipment is thus slidably supported in the rack system, typically so that the electronic equipment can be slid forwardly for access.
In order to prevent unwanted sliding of the rack slide supported electronic equipment, the equipment chassis is secured to the rack system by a slide retention mechanism, for example by thumb screws or standard screws that pass through brackets attached to the electronic equipment chassis.
Considerations with known mechanisms for retaining rack slide mounted electronic equipment include difficulty of use as well as difficulty in ascertaining how to release the slide retention mechanism. Another consideration is the possibility that the retention mechanism is not engaged after the electronic equipment is slid into the rack system.
There is accordingly a need for an easy to use and reliable rack slide retention system.
The disclosed invention is directed to a rack slide retention mechanism that includes a latch arm having a catch for engaging a column flange of a rack system support column.